


better together

by kayytx



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Endgame, Gen, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, these two dumb boys just need to talk to each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 16:32:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16916373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kayytx/pseuds/kayytx
Summary: "I told you, during the mess with Ultron, that we’d always do things together and I broke that promise. It keeps me awake at night knowing that if we hadn’t split the team up, if we had just talked, then maybe we could have had a fighting chance against Thanos. Maybe we would have won."





	better together

**Author's Note:**

> I was thinking about the _Avengers: Endgame_ trailer, then thinking about how Steve and Tony will finally get to work together again. And I just. Really needed them to hug and was worried that Marvel would hold out on us when the movie comes out. So here we are.

Tony’s prepared to die out in the vast emptiness of space, surrounded by the cosmos. If he’s gonna go, at least he’ll get some beautiful scenery to go with it.

He doesn’t expect to be rescued, so he shouldn’t be surprised that that’s exactly what happens.

A face he hasn’t seen since the early 90s pops up in front of his vision. “Carol Danvers,” he chokes out. “Am I hallucinating, or is your hair really glowing?”

“Save your breath, Stark,” she replies. “I’m getting you out of here.”

***

He must have passed out at some point because next thing he knows, he’s waking up in a bed with soft sheets, with machines beeping around him and a slight tug on his right hand where he must be connected to an IV drip. He opens his eyes and takes a look around.

To his left are floor-to-ceiling windows that look out to a familiar lawn. Tony’s back at Avengers Compound.

***

It takes a few days before he’s back on his feet. In the time since half the population turned into dust and Tony went missing, the Rogue Avengers --- what’s left of them, at least --- have returned to New York to work out plans to undo the havoc that Thanos’ snap had caused. Tony hangs back and lets them do their thing, not wanting to interfere with anything. He’s too tired. Too exhausted. He doesn’t want to think about everything he experienced in the last month. Getting stabbed. Losing the kid. Almost starving to death. He wishes he could forget.

He steers clear from his workshop because he just can’t handle looking at his suits again just yet. He feels a little terrible when FRIDAY tells him that DUM-E and U are looking for him, but so he tells her to send them up and join him where he’s retreated into the library. Tony spends his days curled up on the sofa, staring blankly at the unlit fireplace, and doesn’t leave until Rhodey comes in to drag him out for lunch and dinner.

***

“We could really use your help, you know.”

Tony turns to find Steve standing at the door instead of Rhodey, holding a tray filled with plates of pasta and chocolate cake. It smells delicious, but Tony hasn’t had an appetite since before... _before_.

“I think you guys are doing fine without me,” Tony replies. His voice is hoarse. He hardly speaks anymore. He doesn’t have a lot to say these days. “You don’t need me. I’ll just make things worse.”

Steve steps in and sets the tray down on the coffee table in front of them before taking a seat on the other end of the sofa.

“We’re doing okay, I guess.” He turns to Tony fully. “But every time I walk into that room and talk to the team, I get this nagging feeling that something’s missing. Someone. Is missing.”

“You don’t need to remind me what we’re facing right now, Cap. We’ve lost a lot of people.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Steve takes a deep breath. “Listen, Tony. This feeling isn’t new.” He looks down, seemingly uncertain how to continue. 

Tony waits patiently while Steve collects himself and briefly wonders why Steve’s here with him when he could be spending his time with Natasha or Thor instead.

Steve gets up from his spot on the couch and Tony figures Steve has just asked himself the exact same question and is going to leave to find his actual friends. Instead, Steve asks, “Want to take a walk with me?”

“Um.” Tony gestures at the food. “I thought you wanted to eat?”

“That can wait. Come on. Let’s take a walk.”

Tony gets up and goes with him.

***

They walk in silence for a while before stopping near the helipad. There, Steve shuffles his feet a bit, as if he’s contemplating what he wants to say to Tony next. Tony can feel the tension between them building up and his eyes start darting around as he tries to form an escape plan.

“I missed you. Everyday.”

Tony whips his head back around to stare at Steve. He’s bewildered. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would hear those words come out of Steve Rogers’ mouth.

“Excuse me?”

“These last two years have been brutal, I’m not gonna lie. Being on the run wasn’t the most glamorous lifestyle, but we made do. We went on missions and tried to help as many people as we could. I’m proud of what we achieved. But I never stopped thinking about how much better things would have been if we had you with us.”

Tony scoffs. “Trust me, Rogers. I kept track of where you were, what you were up to. You were doing just fine without me.” He kicks at the gravel a bit. “I get it. I wasn’t the best teammate. All I do is fuck things up.”

“I hate that you think so low of yourself.” Steve takes a deep breath, and Tony can feel the Big Inspirational Speech coming. “I know I haven’t been a good friend to you. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would have changed how I acted towards you. You deserved better.”

Steve looks away and Tony can see a single tear tracking its way down his cheek. Steve roughly wipes it away before going on.

“I know what you’re thinking. I know you think this is your fault. That this...decimation of the universe is because you didn’t do enough.” Steve looks Tony dead in the eye. “It’s not. You shouldn’t bear the burden of what happened. And if you insist on doing it anyway, then let me share the load with you.

“Because let me tell you, Tony. These last two years were horrible. I told you, during the mess with Ultron, that we’d always do things together and I broke that promise. It keeps me awake at night knowing that if we hadn’t split the team up, if we had just talked --- if  _I_  had just told you the truth and been a better friend --- then maybe we could have had a fighting chance against Thanos. Maybe we would have won.”

Steve hesitantly places a hand on Tony’s shoulder before finishing quietly, “The thing is... I’m not half as good at anything, as I am when I’m doing it next to you. And that’s the truth. So now that we’re back here, now that we’re fighting on the same side again, I know that we can figure things out and win this fight. Together. I refuse to believe in anything else.”

Tony stays silent for a while, trying his best to process everything he’s just heard. His instinct tells him to crack a snarky joke, but the words won’t come out. Instead, he says, “You really mean that, Captain?” His voice cracks on the last syllable. He knows he sounds weak, and needy, but Tony can’t bring himself to care.

“Every word.”

“Alright. I believe you.”

Steve beams and the smile lights up his whole face. “Come here.” He pulls Tony forward and draws him into a hug, curling into Tony and seemingly unwilling to let go.

“We’ll do better this time,” Tony mumbles into Steve’s chest.

“We will. We’re better together.”

After a couple minutes, Tony pulls back. “So should we get started?”

Steve laughs. “Later. Lunch first.”

“Okay. Lunch first.”

They head back into the compound. For the first time in what feels like years, Tony’s chest feels lighter.

**Author's Note:**

> also on tumblr [here](http://kayytx.tumblr.com/post/180922758827) :)


End file.
